The existence of plastic waste in the world’s oceans has raised reasonable concerns about the impact on wildlife and the environment. But rather than develop reasonable solutions, federal lawmakers have proposed a massively bureaucratic, federally led waste management scheme that would make former Soviet economic planners proud. And like Soviet economic plans, this exercise is destined to fail as well, collapsing into an expensive and unworkable bureaucratic mess.
This “genius” plan is part of the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act (S. 984 and H.R. 2238), sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-CA). Euphemistically dubbed as an “extended producer responsibility” policy, this proposal would force a vast number of businesses — distributors, importers, manufacturers, and retailers — into implementing a heavily regulated federal waste management regime. And the program would not only apply to plastic products; it covers all packaging — paper, glass, metal, and plastic — as well as single-use plastics and all non-package-related paper products.
Read Full Article »